Merchant Shipping Act 1894

413 Skippers and second hands to hold certificate of competency.

(1) A fishing boat, being a trawler of twenty-five tons tonnage or upwards, shall not go to sea from any port of England or Ireland unless provided with a duly certificated skipper and a duly certificated second hand.

(2) If a boat goes to sea contrary to this section, the owner thereof shall for each offence be liable to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds.

(3) If any person, except in case of necessity—

(a) having been engaged to serve as skipper or second hand of a fishing boat, being a trawler of twenty-five tons tonnage and upwards, serves as skipper or second hand of that boat without being duly certificated; or

(b) employs any person as skipper or second hand of such a boat without ascertaining that he is duly certificated;

that person shall for each offence be liable to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds.

(4) A skipper or second hand shall not be deemed duly certificated for the purpose of this section unless he holds a certificate under this Part of this Act appropriate to his station in the boat or to a higher station.

(5) Where the skipper of such a boat is absent from his boat a superintendent may, on the request of the owner of the boat, and on being satisfied that the absence is due to an unavoidable cause, authorise the second hand of the boat to act, for a period not exceeding one month, as the skipper of the boat during the skipper's absence, and the second hand when acting under that authority shall for the purposes of this section be deemed to be a duly certificated skipper.